1 Carl Vincent, No Reason Why: The Canadian Hong Kong Tragedy, An Examination (Stittsville, Ontario: Canada’s Wings, 1981), 92.
2 The Valour and the Horror, episode 6, “Savage Christmas,” directed by Brian McKenna, written by Terence McKenna and Brian McKenna, aired 12 January 1992, on CBC,
https://www.nfb.ca/film/savage_christmas_hong_kong_1941/.
3 Tim Carew, The Fall of Hong Kong (London: Pan Books, 1963), 22–23.
4 Kevin Lui, “How Untrained Canadian Troops Fought and Died in the Defense of Hong Kong,” Time Magazine, 17 January 2017,
https://time.com/4635638/battle-of-hong-kong-canada-winnipeg-grenadiers-royal-rifles/.
5 Terry Copp, “The Decision to Reinforce Hong Kong September 1941,” Canadian Military History 20, no. 2 (2011): 8.
6 The Valour and the Horror, episode 6, “Savage Christmas.”
7 C.P. Stacey, Six Years of War: The Army in Canada, Britain and the Pacific (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1955), 442. Grant S. Garneau, The Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong, 1941–1945 (Carp, Ontario: Baird O’Keefe Publishing Inc., 2001), 12, n18.
8 Vincent, No Reason Why, 44.
9 Nathan M. Greenfield, The Damned: The Canadians at the Battle of Hong Kong and the POW Experience, 1941– 45 (Toronto: Harper Collins, 2010), 13, n421.
10 Tyler Wentzell, “Brigadier J.K. Lawson and Command of “C” Force at Hong Kong,” Canadian Military History
20, no. 2 (2011): 23.
11 Library and Archives Canada (hereafter LAC), Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon the Organization, Authorization and Dispatch of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to the Crown Colony of Hong Kong
fonds (hereafter Hong Kong Inquiry Fonds), RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9 --- pp.741 to 862 Thursday March 12, 1942”, page 793.
12 Ibid., pages 855-856, 813–814, 842, 848.
13 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 10 --- pp.863 to 968 Friday, March 13,
1942”, page 863, 925, 859, 857, 864.
14 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #180–240 #241–295”, exhibit 253 Despatch of Canadian Troops to Hong Kong Resume of General Staff Action, 14 February 1942, page 1.
15 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 4 --- pp.297 to 398 Thursday, March 5,
1942”, pages 349–350, 352.
16 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 6 memorandum from W.H.S. Macklin Colonel. D.S.D. to C.G.S. (through D.M.O. & I.), 26 September 1941, pages 1–2.
17 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 4”, pages 353–355, 362.
18 Ibid., 357, 364, 359.
19 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 20, minutes of a Meeting held in the Office of D.M.O. & I., 9 October 1941, page 3.
20 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 19 telegram from Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to Secretary of State for External Affairs, 9 October 1941.
21 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 28A, memorandum from Brigadier K. Stuart to Minister J.L. Ralston, 11 October 1941.
22 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit #45–70; #71–84”, exhibit 50, memorandum from Brigadier K. Stuart to Minister J.L. Ralston, 20 October 1941.
23 Stacey, Six Years of War, 443.
24 Carew, The Fall of Hong Kong, 138.
25 LAC, Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada fonds, RG 150, Accession 1992–93/166, Box 5471–20, Item 521673, J.K. Lawson First World War Service Record.
26 Wentzell, “Brigadier J.K. Lawson and Command of “C” Force at Hong Kong,” 20–21.
27 Ibid., 22–23.
28 Yves Tremblay, Instruire Une Armée: Les officiers Canadiens et la guerre modern (Outrement, Québec: Athéna, 2007), 135.
29 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “volume 4”, pages 319–320.
30 Vincent, No Reason Why, 47.
31 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 3 --- pp.100 to 296 Tuesday, March 3,
1942”, pages 288–289, 291.
32 Daniel G. Dancocks, In Enemy Hands, Canadian Prisoners of War 1939–45 (Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1983), 221. Tim Cook, The Necessary War: Canadians Fighting the Second World War 1939–1943 (Toronto: Penguin, 2014), 70. Power’s son is strangely absent from his memoir, perhaps as a result of his guilt at sending him into battle and several years of brutal Japanese captivity. Charles Power, A Party Politician, ed. Norman Ward (Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1966).
33 Letter from Lieutenant L.G. Levie to James Sharpe, 1940 September 25, Circulars from the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs series, Charles Gavan Power fonds, Locator 2150-74-D2069, Queen’s University Archives (hereafter QUA).
34 Charles Power, A Party Politician, 9.
35 Jean Benoit, “Price, Sir William,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 15, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed 24 November 2019.
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/price_william_15E.html
36 Garneau, The Royal Rifles, 4.
37 LAC, Defence of National Defence fonds, RG24-G-3-1-a, R112, volume 37272, file “111.1009 (D2) Copies of Papers Re ‘C’ Force, Hong Kong rec’d by D Hist from Hon CG Power in 1953”, letter from John H. Price to C.G. Power, 13 September 1941, pages 1–2.
38 Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel G.F. Berteau to Secretary of Minister of National Defence, 1941 September 15, Circulars from the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs series, Charles Gavan Power fonds, Locator 2150-73- D2065, QUA.
39 Letter from Major J. Gignac to James A. Sharpe, 1941 September 15, Circulars from the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs series, Charles Gavan Power fonds, Locator 2150-73-D2065, QUA.
40 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 3”, page 269.
41 LAC, Defence of National Defence fonds, RG24-G-3-1-a, R112, volume 37272, file “111.1009 (D2) Copies of Papers Re ‘C’ Force, Hong Kong rec’d by D Hist from Hon CG Power in 1953”, letter from C.G. Power to John H. Price, 22 September 1941.
42 LAC, Defence of National Defence fonds, RG24-G-3-1-a, R112, volume 37272, file “111.1009 (D2) Copies of Papers Re ‘C’ Force, Hong Kong rec’d by D Hist from Hon CG Power in 1953”, letter from John Price to C.G. Power, 1 October 1941.
43 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 3”, pages 269–270.
44 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 13 memorandum from CGS Major-General H.D.G. Crerar to Minister J.L. Ralston, 30 September 1941, page 1.
45 Ibid., page 2.
46 LAC, H.D.G. Crerar fonds, MG30 E157, volume 1, file “‘C’ Force Canadian Army Feb 42-Jun 42 -- Hong Kong Inquiry. Papers and Questionnaires pertaining to Hong Kong Expedition, Questions Suggested by Mr. Kellock K.C. and the Answers thereto by Lieutenant-General H.D.G. Crerar D.S.O.”, Answer to Question 1.
47 Ibid., Answer to Question 3.
48 Ibid., Answer to Question 5, page 3.
49 Stacey, Six Years of War, 447.
50 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 1 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 28 June to 31 July 1940”, memorandum For Purposes in Connection with History of the R.R.C. and for War Diary.
51 Ibid., volume 1, 23, 30 July 1940.
52 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 2 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 August to 31 August 1940”, 26 August 1940.
53 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 3 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 2 September to 30 September 1940”, 5 September 1940.
54 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 4 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 October to 31 October 1940”, 25 October 1940.
55 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 3, 23 September 1940.
56 Ibid., 24, 28 September 1940.
57 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 4, 4 October 1940.
58 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 5 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 November to 30 November 1940”, 15 November 1940.
59 Garneau, The Royal Rifles, 7.
60 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 5, 25 and 26 November 1940.
61 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 6 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 December to 31 December 1940”, 6, 11 and 13 December 1940.
62 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 10 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 April to 30 April 1941”, 14 April 1941.
63 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 6, 3 and 10 December 1940.
64 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 8 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 February to 28 February 1941”, 3 February 1941
65 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 6, 13 December 1940.
66 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 9 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 March to 31 March 1941”, 20 March 1941.
67 Garneau, The Royal Rifles, 8.
68 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 11 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 May to 31 May 1941.”
69 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–125 #125–179”, exhibit 120, memorandum from Brigadier E.G. Weeks to A.C.C.S, 16 February 1942.
70 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 12 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 June to 30 June 1941”, 2 June.
71 Ibid., 14 June.
72 Ibid., 16 June.
73 Ibid., 16 June.
74 Ibid., 23 June, 24 June, 25 June.
75 Ibid., 23 June.
76 Ibid., 24 June.
77 Garneau, The Royal Rifles, 10.
78 Ibid.
79 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 6, 3 December 1940.
80 LAC, Royal Rifles War Diary, volume 10, 19 April 1941.
81 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15229, file “Volume 12 War Diary of Royal Rifles of Canada (C.A.S.F.) 1 June to 30 June 1941”, 21 June 1941.
82 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24-G-3-1-a, R112, volume 37272, file “111.1009” letter John H. Price to C.G. Power, 13 September 1941, pages 1–2.
83 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, pages 744, 762.
84 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15290, file “Volume 1 War Diary of The Winnipeg Grenadiers (M.G.) 1 September to 30 September 1939”, 18 September 1939.
85 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, page 747.
86 LAC, DND fonds, RG 24, volume 15290, file “Volume I War Diary “A” Detachment The Winnipeg Grenadiers (M.G.) 27 May 1940 to 30 June 1940” 29 May 1940.
87 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, pages 749–755.
88 Ibid., 749–750.
89 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 19 --- pp.1830 to 1951 Thursday, March 26,
1942”, pages 1892, 1903.
90 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, page 764.
91 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 19”, pages 1891–1892.
92 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, pages 751.
93 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 19”, pages 1891, 1894–1898.
94 Ibid., pages 1892–1893, 1906, 1922.
95 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, pages 745–747, 753.
96 Ibid., pages 765, 792, 758.
97 Cameron Pulsifer, “John Robert Osborn: Canada’s Hong Kong VC,” Canadian Military History 6 no. 2 (1997): 82.
98 The National Archives, ADM 339/1/28936, John Osborn Service Record.
99 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–125 #125–179”, exhibit 122 memorandum from Lieutenant-Colonel H.A. Sparling to D.S.D., 17 January 1942, pages 1–2.
100 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #85 to 100”, exhibit 100 The Winnipeg Grenadiers Brief Summary of the Training by the Regiment While in Jamaica B.W.I., 6 October 1941, pages 1–2.
101 Stacey, Six Years of War, 181.
102 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 25, telegram from Canadian Military Headquarters, Great Britain to National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, 10 October 1941.
103 H.S.M. Carver, Personnel Selection in the Canadian Army: A Descriptive Study (Ottawa: Directorate of Personnel Selection National Defence Headquarters 1945), 99.
104 F.A.E. Crew, The Army Medical Services: Administration Vol. 1 (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office 1953), 343.
105 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit 1–44”, exhibit 25.
106 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #180–24- #241–295”, exhibit 286 memorandum from Major-General B.W. Browne Adjutant-General to Minister J.L. Ralston, 2 January 1942, page 1.
107 Stacey, Six Years of War, 445.
108 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #85 to 100”, exhibit 94 Order Training-
Reinforcement C.A.S.F., 18 August 1940.
109 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #180–24- #241–295”, exhibit 286 memorandum from Major-General B.W. Browne to Minister J.L. Ralston, 20 January 1942, pages 12.
110 Stacey, Six Years of War, 445.
111 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit #45–70; #71–84”, exhibit 84 memorandum from Lieutenant-Colonel J.C. Gamey to District Officer Commanding Military District No. 2, 28 January 1942.
112 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–124 #125–179”, exhibit 113 memorandum from Captain W.T. Shrives to Camp Headquarters Camp Borden, 16 January 1942.
113 Ibid., exhibit 102 memorandum State of Training of Personnel Transferred From A-18 Adv (MG) T C MD 12 from Captain J.H. Reed to Military District No. 10 to Winnipeg Grenadiers, 27 January 1942, pages 1–2.
114 Daniel Byers, Zombie Army: The Canadian Army and Conscription in the Second World War (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2016), 80–81.
115 Ibid., 162–163, 166.
116 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #85 to 100”, exhibit 91 report ‘C’ Force
Personnel who Enlisted Subsequent 1 June 1941, 12 February 1942, page 3.
117 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–124 #125–179”, exhibit 103 report Transferred from #10 District Depot to the Winnipeg Grenadiers, page 7.
118 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–124 #125–179”, exhibit 104 report Transferred to Winnipeg Grenadiers from 100th C.A.(B)T.C., page 1.
119 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–124 #125–179”, exhibit 103, page 6.
120 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibits #101–124 #125–179”, exhibit 104, pages
2, 4.
121 Stacey, Six Years of War, 447.
122 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, page 851.
123 LAC, Crerar fonds, MG30 E157, volume 1, file “‘C’ Force Canadian Army Feb 42-Jun 42 -- Hong Kong Inquiry. Papers and Questionnaires pertaining to Hong Kong Expedition, Questions Suggested by Mr. Kellock K.C. and the Answers thereto by Lieutenant-General H.D.G. Crerar D.S.O.”, Answer to Question 9.
124 Vincent, No Reason Why, 125.
125 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 1, file “Volume 9”, page 782.
126 Ibid., 852, 854.
127 LAC, Hong Kong Inquiry fonds, RG 33 120, volume 2, file “Exhibit #45–70; #71–84”, exhibit 51, report from Commander, Force “C” to Chief of General Staff N.D.H.Q. – Ottawa, 15 November 1941, page 3.
128 Ibid., 3.
129 Ibid., 3.
130 LAC, John Kelburne Lawson fonds, MG 30 E 64, Lawson Diary, pages 1–2.
131 Ibid., pages 3–4.
132 Stacey, Six Years of War, 460.